YAKIMA TRAINING CENTER, Wash. – Yakima Training Center and the city of Yakima, Washington, have been selected to receive the 2020 Army Community Partnership Award during a virtual award ceremony tentatively scheduled for December.
The Department of Defense presents the award each year to installations demonstrating partnerships that improve quality of life for service members and their families, enhance Army readiness and modernization capabilities and build stronger community relationships.
“We’re thrilled to be recognized for the critical partnership between YTC and the city of Yakima,” said Heather Leiby, YTC deputy to the garrison commander. “The fantastic relationship we share with our firefighting partners is a testament to the resilience of the Yakima community.”
Yakima Training Center and the city of Yakima Fire Department have partnered in a mutual aid agreement to perform fire emergency services, including life-saving rescues, structure fire calls and wildland firefighting, throughout the Yakima Valley.
The agreement ensures immediate alarm notification to each department, dependent upon emergency response requirement and incident location. This partnership significantly improves the quality of life for Soldiers, civilians and the community where Army families work and reside.
“No one can do it alone,” Leiby said. “Fires in the Yakima Valley can be very dangerous and spread quickly, due to the desert landscape. Keeping our communities safe is a team effort that we accomplish together.”
This year, firefighters from YTC and the city simultaneously battled the Taylor Pond fire and the Ahtanum Ridge fire across more than 30,000 acres of high desert terrain -- saving homes, livelihoods and wildlife.
"Our people are the centerpiece of the Army, and we must do all we can to take care of them," said Hon. Alex Beehler, assistant secretary of the Army for Installations, Energy and Environment. "To ensure we maintain readiness, we will continue to mitigate the risks posed during this unprecedented time to keep Army personnel and their families healthy and safe."
The Army Community Partnership Recognition ceremony will highlight Yakima’s exceptional partnership and encourage continued collaboration to improve readiness, drive modernization and enhance quality of life initiatives throughout the Army.
JBLM News
https://home.army.mil/yakima/index.php
Yakima Training Center
https://home.army.mil/lewis-mcchord/index.php
Joint Base Lewis-McChord
Social Sharing